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The IAWJ counts many pioneering women judges among its members. They include women who were the first to serve at each level of their country’s national judiciary – from the lowest to the highest court of the land – as well as women who are serving or have served on the International Criminal Court and other international criminal tribunals in The Hague, Arusha, Sierra Leone, Bosnia, Cambodia and elsewhere. Their personal stories and leadership are inspiring, yet those stories remain largely unknown and risk being lost unless mindful efforts are made to preserve them. Too often, history tells “his” story rather than “her” story. The IAWJ is committed to doing its part to ensure that the stories of these exceptional women are told and not erased by time.

With support from the Netherlands, through its Funding Leadership and Opportunities for Women (FLOW) fund, the IAWJ asked women judges serving on international tribunals to share their stories and their reflections on life, law and gender. Through this website, those video stories are now accessible to all. This is but an initial step, and the IAWJ hopes to add more stories over time, documenting the many “firsts” that women judges have achieved and capturing their stories in their own words.